'Fat Shaming' May Actually Lead to Weight Gain

Below:

Next story in Science

Harassing obese people, a practice known as "fat shaming," does
not encourage them to lose weight and can actually result in
weight gain, a new study from the United Kingdom suggests.

In the study, nearly 3,000 adults were asked whether they had
faced
discrimination because of their weight, including whether
they had been harassed, treated with less respect, received poor
service at restaurants and stores or been treated as if they were
not smart.

About 5 percent said they had experienced such fat shaming. Over
a four-year period, those who reported weight discrimination
gained about 2 pounds (0.95 kilograms) on average, while those
who did not report weight discrimination lost about 1.5 pounds
(0.71 kg). [ 11
Surprising Things That Make Us Gain Weight ]

"Our study clearly shows that weight discrimination is part of
the obesity problem and not the solution," Jane Wardle, director
of the Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Centre at University
College London,
said in a statement. "Many obese patients report being
treated disrespectfully by doctors because of their weight.
Everyone, including doctors, should stop blaming and shaming
people for their weight and offer support, and where appropriate,
treatment," Wardle said.

Weight discrimination has been linked to behaviors that can lead
to weight gain, such as comfort eating (or eating energy-dense
foods), said study researcher Sarah Jackson, also of University
College London. Fat shaming may also make people feel less
confident about engaging in physical activity, "so they tend to
avoid it," Jackson said.

The study only found an association, and so
cannot prove that weight discrimination causes weight gain.
But the findings agree with previous research. A study
published last year found that people who are not obese who
experience weight discrimination are 2.5 times more likely to
become obese a few years later than those who do not experience
weight discrimination.

The new findings were published today (Sept. 10) in the journal
Obesity.